Rhonda’s Top Five Recommended New Adult reads

So, as a New Adult author and editor (I also acquire/edit New Adult fiction for Carina Press), I’m always on the hunt for great leisure time reads! I notice a number of people who are still trying to figure out New Adult, so I’d like to offer up a list of recommended reads in this amazing category.

New Adult focuses on characters aged 18-25 dealing with issues relating to emerging adulthood, but with the deeply intimate narrative voice you usually find in young adult novels. NA characters often deal with first real love, independence, first job, college woes, sex, finding their place in the world, etc. Emotions can run high and strong, and the stories can be intense and “angsty”. Sexuality can range from sweet to super spicy.

And now, without further ado, here are my top 5 recommended New Adult reads, in no particular order:

—Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan. I sat down and read this one in one sitting. I remember my husband was watching football and I couldn’t stop reading enough to look up at the score. Lol. Highly recommended—when I think of emotional, sexy New Adult reads, this is usually the first one I think of.

—The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen. Now here was a great one…the heroine has a permanent injury that prevents her from playing college ice hockey, and she ends up falling for a guy who broke his leg and lives right across the hall from her on campus. I love how realistic the characters are, how they make mistakes but are so vulnerable to us. Loved this one.

—Easy by Tammara Webber. This one is a “classic” in New Adult, the first one I read actually, and I knew after finishing this that I was hooked. Great emotion, great intensity, compelling to read.

—Slammed by Colleen Hoover. I like how this one has a crossover YA feel—the heroine is still in high school, but she’s dealing with adult issues. Great emotion, resonant characters.

—Flat-out Love by Jessica Park. New Adult doesn’t have to be super angsty…it can also have great moments of levity. This book was a delight to read, with a surprise twist at the end that I didn’t expect.

So, have you delved into New Adult? What books would you recommend those who are new to NA read?

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago when she realized she was having far too many conversations with people in her head that hadn’t actually happened. She has a Master’s degree in English and a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) as a freelance acquisitions/developmental editor, plus offers freelance editing.

When she isn’t writing, she likes amateur photography, digging her toes into the sand, reading for hours at a time, and eating scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.

Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family, dog, and a very loud cat.